Detroit Tigers Represented on 2018 Hall of Fame Ballot

Detroit Tigers fans will see familiar faces on the 2018 Hall of Fame ballot. Three newcomers with Detroit ties join returner Gary Sheffield on the quest for Cooperstown.

The Detroit Tigers are represented well on the 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot.

While no one on this ballot would go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Tigers hat, two players joining the ballot this year played a small portion of their careers in the Motor City.

The two newcomers, outfielder Johnny Damon and first baseman Aubrey Huff, will join holdover Gary Sheffield on the 33-man ballot.

Sheffield is entering his fourth year on the ballot.

He earned 13.3% of the votes last year, his highest total thus far. He has quite the uphill battle ahead of him to reach the 75% threshold necessary for induction into Cooperstown.

In addition to Damon, Huff and Sheffield, former Tigers first base coach and 24-year veteran Omar Vizquel will hit the ballot for the first time.

Vizquel spent the majority of his career with the rival Cleveland Indians, accruing 2,877 hits and winning 11 Gold Glove Awards.

The full ballot, according to MLB.com, is listed below:

Barry Bonds
Chris Carpenter
Roger Clemens
Johnny Damon
Vladimir Guerrero
Livan Hernandez
Trevor Hoffman
Orlando Hudson
Aubrey Huff
Jason Isringhausen
Andruw Jones
Chipper Jones
Jeff Kent
Carlos Lee
Brad Lidge
Edgar Martinez
Hideki Matsui
Fred McGriff
Kevin Millwood
Jamie Moyer
Mike Mussina
Manny Ramirez
Scott Rolen
Johan Santana
Curt Schilling
Gary Sheffield
Sammy Sosa
Jim Thome
Omar Vizquel
Billy Wagner
Larry Walker
Kerry Wood
Carlos Zambrano

Let’s take a look at the group of former Tigers and their chances for the Hall of Fame.

Johnny Damon

Johnny Damon had a very accomplished 18-year career. He knocked out 2,769 hits and scored 1,668 runs.

Damon spent his first six seasons in Kansas City before playing in Oakland for one year and spending the next four years with the Red Sox.

Boston is where he will be most remembered. He was a key component of the famous 2004 team that came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Yankees. They went on to sweep the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series and broke an 86 year drought for Boston.

Damon then spent four years on the Yankees before coming to Detroit for the 2010 season.

Damon was primarily the Tigers designated hitter in 2010.

He played in 145 games, slashing .271/.355/.410. He hit 36 doubles and eight home runs, stole 11 bases and posted a .756 OPS.

Damon finished out his career with one year each in Tampa Bay and Cleveland before retiring in 2012.

Damon had a very solid career, but not one that will end with him reaching the Hall of Fame.

According to Baseball Reference, His bWAR of 56 and JAWS score of 44.4 both fall short of the average HOF center fielder (71.2 and 57.9, respectively).

He racked up a lot of hits and a lot of runs scored, but his poor defense, average power and average speed might keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield is entering his fourth year on the ballot, having earned 13.3% of the vote last year. He earned 11.7% in 2015 and 11.6% in 2016.

The likelihood of his support increasing from 13% to 75% over the next six years are slim. Sheffield might have to wait for the Veteran’s Committee to give him a chance at induction.

Sheffield played for eight different teams across 22 seasons, blasting 509 home runs and slashing .292/.393/.514 in his illustrious career.

The outfielder and designed hitter joined the Tigers in November of 2006 in a trade with the New York Yankees. The Tigers surrendered three prospects in the deal; Anthony Claggett, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan.

Sheffield spent two years in the Motor City, hitting .247 with 44 home runs, 31 stolen bases and a .788 OPS.

He was released after the 2008 season and signed with the New York Mets to close out his career.

Sheffield’s lack of support from voters could stem from an overcrowded ballot. Voters are only allowed to vote for 10 players. With a plethora of talent on the ballot, some players might not get as many votes.

Sheffield was one of the greatest power hitters of his generation, but has a long road ahead of him before he sees his name on a plaque in Cooperstown.

Omar Vizquel

While not technically a Tiger, Omar Vizquel was hired in November of 2013 to be the Detroit Tigers first base coach.

Under former manager Brad Ausmus, Vizquel also served as the Tigers infield and base-running coach.

He resided in that role through last season, but won’t return as part of the new Detroit coaching staff.

Vizquel is certainly qualified to coach infield and baserunning, two areas he excelled at in his 24-year career.

Vizquel opened up his career in Seattle, playing five seasons there and winning one Gold Glove.

He then spent 11 season as a member of the Cleveland Indians, winning eight Gold Glove Awards and making three All-Star games.

Vizquel won two more Gold Glove Awards in his four years with the Giants before bouncing around the Rangers, White Sox and Blue Jays to finish out his career.

Vizquel’s 11 Gold Glove Awards are tied for sixth all-time among position players, second only to Ozzie Smith among shortstops. His 28.4 dWAR is 10th all time.

There is no doubt that Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive players in the history of baseball, but is he Hall worthy?

His 82 OPS+ is substantially below average. His 2,877 hits is nice but his 80 home runs and 404 stolen bases are both not up to par for Hall of Famers, even at shortstop.

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Vizquel will get plenty of votes for the HOF, but a crowded ballot may keep him short of induction in his first season. However, there is a good chance he will eventually wind up in Cooperstown.